The maneuver is also seen as a push to project Iran’s military on a more global scale and establish international ties while the United States seeks to isolate the country.

This isn’t the first time Iran has talked about sending ships from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico. Iran said in 2014 it would send warships into the Gulf of Mexico to protest the U.S. Navy presence in the Persian Gulf, according to USA Today.

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And in 2010, Iran offered to dispatch experts during the massive BP oil spill. Reuters reported.